Most women lose 10 pounds when they give birth--a combination of the baby's weight and water weight--but the remaining 15 to 25 pounds that the Institute of Medicine recommends pregnant women gain might stick around a little longer. Though it can be hard, it's important to wait at least two months before you begin to try to lose the rest of your baby weight. If you give your body time to heal, you'll find that the fastest way to lose weight after having a baby is a straightforward combination of diet and exercise.
Step 1
Make a mental commitment well before your due date to lose the weight after your baby is born. Researchers at the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University published a study in the Journal of the American Dietetics Association in 2001 that found the most accurate predictor of a woman's postpartum weight loss was her intention to lose the weight and her confidence in her ability to do so.
Step 2
Reduce your daily calorie intake to 1,800 calories, choosing foods that are rich in calcium, folate, zinc and magnesium. Opt for a balanced diet of lean protein, low-fat dairy, whole grains and fruits and vegetables. Keeping your calorie count at this level ensures that you have enough nutrients to maintain a healthy milk supply while limiting calories enough to promote the loss of one to two pounds each week.
Step 3
Get 30 minutes of exercise a day, either in one long exercise session or a few shorter sessions throughout the day. Start with gentle exercises that will be easy on your body, such as yoga or walking, and as you build strength and endurance, include more vigorous exercises like aerobics or bicycling.
Step 4
Breast-feed if you can. The Cornell University study found that moms who breast-fed for at least one year were more successful at losing weight after giving birth than moms who didn't breast-feed.
Tips and Warnings
- Finding time to exercise can be hard for a new mother. Newborns require a lot of time and attention. Try not to get discouraged. Enlist help from friends and family to give you exercise time or incorporate your baby into your workout by taking her on walks or taking mommy-baby yoga classes.
- Don't reduce your calorie intake to fewer than 1,500 calories per day if you're breast-feeding. Reducing calories that significantly can cause a nutritional deficiency for you and your baby.
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